Knight with hat trick, Baertschi five points as Heat double up IceHogs 6-3

The Canadian Press

Knight with hat trick, Baertschi five points as Heat double up IceHogs 6-3

ABBOTSFORD, B.C. - Corban Knight snapped a 10-game goalless drought with a hat trick as the Abbotsford Heat doubled up the visiting Rockford IceHogs 6-3 on Friday in American Hockey League action.

The 23-year-old rookie scored back-to-back goals in the first period, first tipping a shot from Max Reinhart over goaltender Jason LaBarbera's left shoulder to give Abbotsford a 2-1 edge on the power play at 16:40.

Knight's second goal came just over a minute later at 18:04 as Tim Miller took advantage of a Rockford turnover in the IceHogs zone and fed the puck across the crease to Knight, who buried it short side.

Miller collected a goal and two assists for Abbotsford (37-25-7) and Sven Baertschi had two goals and three assists.

He's only 17 but he can see the ice so well and he moves the puck and goes to the open ice all the time, so I just think he's a player that is ready to play in the NHL. I'm really looking forward to coaching someone like this.

— U.S. National Junior Team coach Ron Wilson on Auston Matthews, the projected No. 1 pick of the 2016 NHL Draft